Reading Notes: Jakata Tales

 

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The Jakata Tales, Reading A

 The Monkey and the Crocodile is a tale describing the interaction between the cunning primate and the dim crocodile. Ultimately it appears to literally be a contest between the evolved monkey mind and the reptilian brain.

How the Turtle Saved Himself is about a turtle in the lake is a short story, so short it is almost an anecdote if the turtle had told the story himself. The turtle is misunderstood by young naïve minds. A person of power plays into their fear and becomes complicate to the naïve minds in order to ease their misunderstanding instead of educating them. The sycophants to the person of power offer ways to destroy the turtle and, in their own nativity, present a solution that sounds punishing to the group seeking to destroy the turtle but is actually useful in its escape. The turtle, recognizing opportunity, plays a reverse psychology game with the crowd by feigning intense fear at the suggestion. The turtle escapes death by the same naivety that brought him close to it.

The Merchant of Seri. Good fortune comes with honesty and integrity.

The turtle who couldn’t stop talking. Sometimes you want to help someone, but they simply can’t keep their mouths shut; particularly out of pride or defending a fragile ego. In the case of the turtle, he is hindered in his ability to travel great distances to better locations. He is offered an opportunity for assistance in this manner, however, when called out for the silliness of the appearance by which he travels, he cannot put his pride aside to maintain the condition by which he travels. Thus, he falls to his demise.

The Ox Who Won the Forfeit is a tale of appreciation for the abilities of others and the value in clear and honest communication. A man who knows the abilities of his ox, bullies the ox to make him show his strength, but the ox resists. The ox is open with its concerns to its owner, and the owner willingly reconciles.

The Sandy Road: never waste preparedness. Do not take for granted what you have because you are complacent of your current condition. You may have to work extra hard to recover.

The Quarrel of the Quails is a story of the success of working together but also a warning to the mind of the masses.

The Measure of Rice is a cautionary tale about qualified people inflating false values to benefit themselves with disastrous results. This appears to have an analogue in our current society with our current administration.

The Foolish and Timid Rabbit. At times it takes a brave person to face the masses to bring sensibility to group fear.

Bibliography:
Ellen C. Babbitt, The Jakata Tales